Background
Patient navigation (PN) is a promising intervention to ameliorate cancer health disparities. This study objective was to measure PN effects on cancer-specific quality of life (QOL) among newly diagnosed cancer patients.
Methods
A randomized, controlled trial of PN was conducted in Rochester, New York. Breast cancer and colorectal cancer patients were randomly assigned to receive a PN intervention or usual care. QOL was measured at baseline and four subsequent time points, using the validated Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-B, FACT-C) instruments.
Results
Among 319 randomized patients (165 PN, 154 control), median age was 57 years and 32.5% were from minority race/ethnicity groups. PN and control groups were comparable on baseline factors, except home ownership v. renting (more home ownership among controls, p=0.05) and race (more whites among controls, p=0.05). Total and subscale FACT scores did not differ between groups when analyzed as a change from baseline to 3 months, or at various time points. The emotional well-being subscale change from baseline approached significance (better change among PN group, p=0.05). Time trends of QOL measures did not differ significantly between groups. Adjustment for baseline patient factors did not reveal a benefit of PN on QOL.
Conclusions
In this randomized trial of PN, there was no statistically significant effect on disease-specific QOL.
Impact
These results suggest that PN may not affect QOL during cancer treatment, that social/medical support are adequate in this study’s setting, or that the trial failed to target patients likely to experience QOL benefit from PN.